Michael T
5.0
(120)
Instruments: Drums
Styles: Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, R&B, Latin, Funk, Reggae, Bossa Nova, Soul, Avant-garde
Michael T
5.0
(120)
Instruments: Drums
Styles:
Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, R&B, Latin, Funk, Reggae, Bossa Nova, Soul, Avant-garde
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 5-65
Oakland University, Rochester, MI
Jan 2005- Dec 2008
Bachelor of Arts Degree with a combined major in Sociology and Anthropology.
- G.P.A. 3.8
- Golden Key Honor Society.
I am available for online (remote) lessons; with a very good online set up (tripods, cameras, etc). I will also be available at my teaching space, when the dusts settles on this Coronavirus situation. I have two great drum sets, set up side by side; one for the student, and one for the instructor. Thank you for your time and interest. I have 25 years of experience as a working musician, combining: Private drum instruction, freelance studio work, and collaboration with musicians and bandmates in both a live and studio setting. I have been a member of solid Metropolitan Detroit bands, most notably including: Friends of the Family, Night Train, and The Mobius Loop. I have been blessed with many great opportunities, most notably supporting national acts, such as: The Headhunters, Melvin Seals, Mofro and Strange Folk. And, I have recorded at excellent Metropolitan Detroit studios, including: Studio N Armada, Riff Lab Studios, Woodshed Studios, The Disc, and CVF Studios. More recently, I have participated in recording projects with a group called The Nova Junction, and with talented producers Dan Lesnick and Josh Ackerman. Along with teaching drum lessons, I am presently collaborating on original material, with a newly formed rock band, called Electric Temple.
I am very experienced with teaching students in a wide age range; as I have students that are 5 years of age, and students that are 60 plus years of age. I took private instruction, studying under two EXCELLENT drummers from the Detroit Metro area: Darryl Pierce and Donny Gruendler. Mr. Pierce (among many other accomplishments) currently tours internationally and nationally with a well known artist by the name of Bettye LaVette. This group has made frequent television appearances, including: David Letterman and Austin City Limits. Mr. Gruendler, is currently the Vice President of Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, and he has been featured in several Modern Drummer publications. I have learned a great deal through private instruction, and therefore teach from experience. I utilize and apply many of the techniques that I personally found useful; through my own personal instruction. The two full drum kits, set up in my teaching/rehearsal space, have proven to be an exceptional teaching tool. References from teachers, students, producers, and bandmates can be provided on request.
For very young students, I typically start with the Hal Leonard Book, Drums for Kids. For older or slightly more experienced students, I start with exercises that cover: Fundamental drum patterns, phrasing, and fills. When the student can show that they have a grasp of the fundamentals, we then typically move on to more challenging concepts, including: Sound source (voicing) exercises, note subdivision exercises, more challenging books, and (last but not least) songs. All of the above is supplemented and reinforced by two great books called: Stick Control for the Snare Drummer, and Syncopation for the Modern Drummer. Those two books are great for developing control, proper articulation (stick rebound), coordination, and sight reading skills. For more advanced students, I would typically jump directly into songs and styles; along with concepts that are generally more advanced (i.e. polyrhythms, strange time signatures, and independent coordination).
I love seeing my students make progress! I offer a very structured lesson, as I strongly believe that the most progress in made when students learn and practice in a structured fashion. That said, I do understand that students progress at their own pace, so I'm an extremely patient teacher in that regard. I also believe that repetition is key, especially in personal practice; which is where structure is especially important. So, I send practice notes outlining what has been covered and what should be practiced; after every lesson.
Alexander Jacob
Mr. Michael T is a great teacher. I like how he teaches the fundamental practices in depth, so we're able to move on to more complex things. He is always in a good mood for the lesson, and he makes the lesson very interesting and fun.
S Stocker
Our son has been taking drum lessons with Mr. Michael for almost a year now, and he absolutely loves it! Mr. Michael is a wonderful teacher. He is very professional, patient, caring and fun, and his passion for drums has motivated our son to learn more each day. If you are looking for a drum teacher, we highly recommend Mr. Michael!
Avishkar Nikam
Mr. Michael is an awesome teacher! He is very experienced which means that he is very professional, kind, and patient. Overall he is awesome. iF you are looking for a drums teacher I would highly recommend him.
Jon G
I started lessons with Michael a few months back and have rapidly progressed ever since. Michael does an incredible job at breaking down complex patterns in an easy to understand format that has got me rapidly progressing at drums. Michael has a great attitude, is patient and encouraging throughout each lessons. I would highly recommend Michael for anyone from beginner to advanced looking to achieve goals quickly and become a more fundamentally sound drummer.
mike
Michael has very been very helpful with lessons every week. I have been playing awhile and been developing many bad habits, Michael has shown different strategies to slowly break out of them. He makes it fun to learn from and creates a good experience.
MIKE CARROLL
I wanted to get back into drums after taking about 20 years off.....Mike was able to help me tune up my fundamentals and get me back on track to having fun with the drums again. He is easy to work with and his price is reasonable. He is very flexible with my schedule as I only do online lessons. Mike is qualified and easy to talk to. He understands what direction I want to go and has helped me improve my skills. A++++
Kapil Butala
Mr. Mike is an excellent music teacher. He is always very patient, kind and professional with his students. My son loves his drums lessons and always looking forward for the lessons. I would highly recommend Mr. Mike as a drum teacher.
Christopher Frye
I've been taking lessons from Michael for about 8 months now. He is easy to work with, the Skype lessons work very well (much better than anticipated), he's flexible, knowledgeable, and also a nice guy. I enjoy taking the lessons, and they have really paid off for somebody who hasn't had a drum lesson in 50 years (yes that's right). I would highly recommend Michael!
Vishwani Dua
My 8 yr old daughter has been taking drum lessons from Michael for couple months now virtually. Shes really enjoying them and learning. Michael is very organized and has a great style of teaching. His camera setup really helps to see exactly what hes teaching and my daughter is able to follow him easily. He provides notes after each lesson and what to practice for homework as well, which really helps keep my daughter engaged while shes not in class. I wasn't sure if virtual lessons will work initially but Michael has really made it worthwhile and my daughter now loves these classes. I would highly recommend Michael for anyone thats thinking of lessons especially during the pandemic!!
Kevin Mcdonald
At mid-life I found myself with extra time on my hands as the kids had all flown the coop; but I was stranded in my home due to COVID-19. I had always wanted to learn drums and decided to make drumming my primary hobby in my “second life”, but I didn’t know where to start. Michael Thompson answered my request for information and has been extremely knowledgeable, flexible, and attentive to my needs. I have learned more in the past few months than anticipated, and am even playing one of my favorite (basic) songs adequately! I live in Nashville and Mike is outside Detroit, and I was initially concerned about how the “virtual instruction experience” would be. It hasn’t been a problem, and I’m fact it’s has streamlined the cadence for each session and added structure to it. We both use webcams and can see each other without issue, and in fact I can see up close examples where I may not have noticed if I were onsite. Here are some highlights of my experience: - [ ] Detroit based drummer with decades of experience with multiple genres of music (Jazz, Rock, Latin, Classics, and more!) - [ ] Personalized training, the Genre and songs that I want to learn with a sprinkling of others for edification. I have learned to appreciate genres I never listened to before, such as Jazz. - [ ] Music theory instruction, reading percussion sheet music, timing, rudiments, hand/foot techniques and control, fills, and much more - [ ] Flexible scheduling. I decided on an hour a week, and Mike has been flexible when my schedule required a different night. He’s Uber easy to work with. - [ ] Mike responds to out-of-cycle messages, sends videos to demo a specific question, he is great at getting questions answered. - [ ] He consistently (and tactfully) corrects minor mistakes, attention to detail matters and has made me a better drummer. In closing, I believe that an instructor’s job is not to just give you a ton of examples and homework; we can all get that from books and YouTube. An instructors actual job is to be the subject matter expert and to guide the students through the content that they need to know to build foundational habits and be prepared for the the next stage in training. Mikes homework assignments always lead to mastery skills that need to be in place to best embrace the next level.
Devone G.
Lessons are well structured and easy to follow along with. Michael is very passionate about music and teaching. Post-lesson practice notes work well to drive the information home, while also outlining what is going to be covered in the future. I would absolutely recommend Michael for beginners and people like myself, who may be new to drums but has experience playing an instrument.
Jinbao Cao
My 5 year old son likes to play drum. We signed him up for Michael's virtual class after trial, and he has been doing really well in the past several months. Virtual class is challenging for little ones, but Michael has all the patience and teaching tricks to get my son involved in the class. Michael is really dedicated to teaching, and I can tell he enjoys working with kids. To further improve the virtual class drum set sound quality, Michael even invested in a new electronic drum set. I would recommend Michael to anyone who is looking for a drum teacher.
Mike Tragakiss
Great person very student focused. He has stayed in touch with me following my progress for many months. I would recommend this drum master to anyone who wants an interest and talented instructor who really cares about people and how music effects our lives.
moyinoluwa akinsanya
I have been taking this lesson from Michael for months now, and through out the classes, i have experienced comfort, built my reflexes, and learnt a lot about drumming. I would recommend Michael because he is a great teacher, and he is ready to correct your mistakes.
TJ Berlucchi
I got into drumming about 5 years ago. I only took lessons once every 2 weeks and every now and then once a week. Within 3 years of working with Michael, I’ve been able to be accepted into one of the best fife and drum corps in the nation. Michael is very easy to work with for scheduling. He is a very accomplished musician, great man, and an awesome teacher.
bryan parker
Michael is not just an amazing teacher but he is great person. After watching him teach my 9 year old son I immediately wanted to take lessons. I now have my 12 year old daughter and my self taking weekly classes. Im extremely satisfied with his service and teaching method. He is super accommodating and flexible when it comes to scheduling and diligent on following up. We as family are excited to keep developing our skills under his guidance.
Nicole Parker
Michael is very patient and kind. He takes time to make sure you understand the lesson
Jay umapathy
My son switched so many instruments and kept moving from piano to violin then violin to trumpet as he didn’t have any interest in music but I wanted him to learn at least 1 instrument but since he started drums with Michael T he has shown a interest in music and he is been playing drums with out quitting over a 8 months now.
SylviaC
The best of the best!! My son has been to quite a few music teachers prior to meeting Michael T. His patience and ability to convey to my son the lessons in a way that he could grasp makes all the difference in the world. We have finally found our forever teacher. My son is making music!!! Thanks to Michael T.
Thomas Berlucchi
Michael is an excellent instructor that can energize his students. His personality and love for the drums (music in general) will rub off on his students. My son was a total beginner who had a slow left hand. With in one yr his drumming advanced to levels of profound levels which lead him to joining Camp Chase Drum and Fife Corp. After three years working with Michel his drumming has raised him to now assisting or leading as principle musician. Michael inspires his students to want to practice and it leads them to many adventures. His teaching method's even during the pandemic early days using Zoom as a tool was awesome. I would highly recommend Michael as an instructor to anyone.
Christine Pascual
Micheal is a wonderful music teacher. He conveys his love and various types of music easily. My son has been learning the drums for a few years but Michael T has taken him beyond technique drills and actually into playing songs! We highly recommend him.
Claudia
Michael does such a great job! I was not sure about remote lessons for a musical instrument, but Michael makes it work! My son loves playing the drums, he's learning and applying what he learns in his lessons, and he makes progress with every lesson. We are pleased with his progress, and we would definitely recommend Michael as an instructor!
Cosmo Fattizzo
Michael has been a phenomenal drum teacher and musical influence on our son for the past 6 years. His easy-going style, warm personality, and positive attitude have really helped Jude blossom and continuously strive to improve. I would highly recommend Michael to anyone, at any age or level looking to become a percussion aficionado.
Matthew Miller
I have been a student for almost 4 years and have really enjoyed it. Michael's style of teaching and understanding of drumming fundamentals makes him a great teacher for any age. He makes sure you feel supported and have fun on whatever you are working on but that doesn't stop him from letting you know how to improve. Michael also has experience in many styles of music and can teach and focus on whatever you like. I currently am on a progressive rock song, funk song, and am getting into latin style songs.
Renee R
Michael is amazing! I first contacted Michael in October 2021 about drum lessons for my 10-year old son. I had a MILLION questions. I was very apprehensive about online lessons and hiring someone I had never met. Plus, my son has anxiety. Michael was so patient and kind. He was available for questions anytime and never made me feel like I was a burden. There was also no pressure. He answered all of my questions and assured me that his online lessons were on point. He was so right! We started lessons the first week of January and my son loves it! He is learning so much. He looks forward to it every week. He is eager to practice without any prompting from me and excited to show Michael his progress each week. It is awesome to watch them interact. Michael is so fun, encouraging and positive with each lesson. I would recommend Michael to anyone looking for drum lessons. :)
Len Piechowski
Michael is absolutely great with my grandson, Kendrick, who has just begun to take lessons from him. Kendrick looks forward to his lessons and enjoys working with Michael very much.
Tiffany
Fantastic instructor! Wealth of knowledge. Best virtual teacher out there. He makes virtual learning possible. Michael has a fantastic way of engaging children and motivating them to perform their best!
Maureen Scanlon
My 14 yo grandson started lessons with Michael about 2 months ago. Being able to do it over video is so convenient and he has learned so much. He always feels so confident after the lesson! I would highly recommend Michael!
Len Piechowski
Michael does a great job with my grandson Kendrick who has just started drum lessons recently. He is patient and affirming.
Lori Limas
Very professional and responsive. Worked very well with my daughter. Would definitely recommend.
Joan Meng
Michael is super nice and professional. We enjoyed our drum lessons. He is knowledgeable and friendly with the kids.
Brian Gantwerker
great teacher and very exacting! great motivator!
Gail Hines
I appreciate how my lessons are tailored to fit my ability and my progress . I joined a jazz band and Michael has found music and he makes sure that their is time for not only his lessons, but that we cover some Jazz work also. Great teacher.
K.
I am glad I found Mr. Michael T o be my drum instructor. I started to learn the drums later in life but it doesn't feel that way when learning from him. Whatever level you may be he is intuitive in knowing what you need when you need it. I always have a good time and feel like I am progressing after each lesson. Definitely enjoying the drumming journey. One love.
Praveen
My son has attended drums lessons with Michael T. for past few months and greatly enjoys his lessons. Michael T. is very organized and we have no issues getting the most of the virtual sessions. Michael T. is extremely patient and polite. He lessons has a good balance of fundamentals and keeping my son engaged. We are very happy to find Michael T. and would definitely recommend.
Anita Clemons
Michael is the best drum coach ever. He is very methodical about developing the total drummer. He has worked with our son to prepare for auditions where he successfully landed a permanent drummer position for a band. The lessons have taken his drumming to new levels. Michael rocks!
Alex Clemons
Michael is the greatest! He has taken my drumming to new levels. His wealth of experience is very valuable to a working performing drummer who’s always wanting to up your game. He has the patience of Job and I really enjoy and value our relationship.
Jude Fattizzo
As one of his students I can say that Michael is a great teacher. He structures the lessons so that they are unique to each student. His personality makes his lessons not just beneficial to the students’ skills but also very entertaining and engaging.
Check out our A+
Rating from the Better Business Bureau
100% Risk-Free Trial Lesson
If you are not satisfied after your trial lesson, you will not be charged and we can match you with another teacher.